Nepal national women’s cricket team could not qualify for the ACC Women’s Twenty20 Asia Cup 2022 after their semi-final match against the United Arab Emirates was called off due to rain on Friday.

The no result means the UAE qualified for the October finals in Bangladesh after progressing into the final of the ACC Women’s Twenty20 Championship as Group ‘A’ winners due to the absence of a reserve day.

The final match is scheduled for Saturday.

Only the two teams making it to the Championship final would book their tickets to the Asia Cup.

The UAE will now face Malaysia in the final in Kuala Lumpur after Winifred Duraisingam’s side defeated Hong Kong women by 12 runs in a rain-reduced second semi-final.

Fresh from demolishing Qatar by 153 runs in their last group match on Wednesday, an unbeaten UAE arrived at the Kinrara Academy Oval as favourites to advance into the final.

But Nepali pace bowler Asmina Karmacharya crippled the UAE batting line up with 5-10 after sending them to bat first as Chaya Mughal’s team were skittled for just 81 in 19.5 overs.

Medium pacer Indu Barma returned the match figures of 3-16. Sita Rana Magar also pocketed two wickets.

Karmacharya removed opener Theertha Satish for 5 runs in the first delivery of the fourth over before taking the prized scalp of UAE’s star batter Esha Oza—who hit the tournament’s first century in her 67-ball 115 against Qatar on Wednesday—for just 15 to reduce the UAE at 24-2 in the sixth over.

The casualties of the openers started a collapse as the UAE lost wickets at regular intervals.

After Rana Magar trapped Kavisha Egodage (3) lbw in the next over, Khushi Sharma (12) and skipper Mughal (14) tried to steady the innings putting on 20 runs but the UAE found themselves in the hot water after Barma broke the momentum having had both caught.

Samaira Dharnidharka, trapped leg before by Barma, and Priyanjali Jain, caught behind off Rana Magar, then departed cheaply for 7 and 4 runs respectively.

Vaishnave Mahesh top scored for the UAE with 16 facing 11 deliveries but she too fell flat against lethal Karmacharya in the 19.2 overs. The pacer then removed Indhuja Nandakumar and Sita Gokhhale (both for nought) giving Nepal a renewed hope of reaching the final.

The 82-run target would not have been a challenging total for Rubina Chhetry’s team.

But persistent rain played spoilsport and washed out the second innings without a single ball being bowled, shutting the door to Nepal’s dreams of qualifying for the Asia finals for a third time despite an exceptional performance.

Karmacharya took the tournament highest eight wickets. Rana Magar and Sangita Rai have seven wickets each to their name.

The second semi-final was also hit by rain and was reduced to 11-over-a-side.

Sent to bat first after losing the toss, opener and skipper Duraisingam scored 26 and Mas Elysa hit an unbeaten 33 to steer the hosts to 86-4.

In reply, Sasha Azmi took 2-16 and Nik Nur Atiela pocketed 2-9 to turn the tables on Malaysia’s side as they restricted the Group ‘B’ winners to 74-8 to set up the UAE final.

The UAE and Malaysia will join India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Thailand in the Asia Cup.